The Spare
by Chisuto
Summary: Sawada Tsunayoshi was told to take care of his younger twin brother. He may not have the intelligence, the skills, or (sometimes) the desire to do so, but it's what he's been brought up to do. Still, he can't help but hope that one day, he can have some of the same things as his brother - success, happiness, and friends. He just might have to take a very different route to get it.


**Disclaimer: **The Katekyo Hitman Reborn (KHR) characters, world, and overall plot belong to Akira Amano.

The ideas of: Tsuna having a twin (who is a bully), becoming Kyouya's friend before high school, and eventually moving to Italy are cywscross's and have been used with her permission. Also, go read all of her stuff. Seriously, she's amazing – everything she touches is magic.

**Author's Note:**

Never thought I'd return to writing fanfiction. And yet, here we are. Couple notes:

(1) **This story will be GEN, outside of canon pairings **(like Nana and Iemitsu, for example).

(2) I've written through chapter six **but** I won't be posting chapter two until I finish writing chapter seven. Just so you know!

(3) If you notice anything in the fic that doesn't make sense/is misspelled/etc, please tell me!

(4) Cross-posted on Ao3! (Same username.)

Aaaaaaaaand, I think that's it! Hope you enjoy!

* * *

_**The Spare – Chapter One**_

At age six, there were a slew of words that could be used to describe Sawada Tsunayoshi: clumsy, below average, the older twin, a loser, invisible.

Some of the descriptions made sense, he supposed. Even still, the only words _he_ ever used to describe himself were 'observant' and 'self-reliant'; there wasn't enough opportunity for him to be much else, at least not in his family.

He got along well enough with his parents – when his younger twin, Ieshige, wasn't demanding attention and they remembered him – but with his brother…?

_Well_. He and Shige gave whole new dimensions to the term 'opposites.'

Shige was everything Tsuna wasn't. He was athletic, charismatic, and driven. He didn't take 'no' for an answer and if he wanted something, he made sure of two things: (1) that he got it and (2) that Tsuna _didn't_.

But Tsuna wouldn't – couldn't – complain. As soon as he'd grown old enough to comprehend it, his father had pulled him aside and stressed that, as the older twin, it was his job to look out for Shige. Even at four, Tsuna hadn't quite understood, considering he was only the older brother by twelve minutes. But his father had looked quite serious, so he'd nodded and tried to figure out what 'looking out for Shige' entailed.

Shige was loved and adored by all. No one believed he did anything wrong. He was described in glowing terms.

How did one look out for someone who had everything?

Despite the times when Shige insulted him, made fun of him, or bullied him, Tsuna loved his brother and would do anything – would put up with anything – to make him happy.

Because, really… what other option did he have?

[1]

Tsuna watched, he listened, and he was good at it. He had to be in order to watch out for Shige.

Even when he was distracted by his math homework – something that typically took up all his focus because the numbers _never made sense_ – he paid attention to his surroundings.

Thus, he knew the exact moment when Shige's boredom reached critical mass and he turned his attention to Tsuna. He knew that if he glanced up, he'd see the smirk that crossed Shige's face; it was one that practically screamed 'danger' to Tsuna's practiced senses.

"Struggling with your math again, Dame-Tsuna? Just give up. You suck at it anyway."

Tsuna kept his head down and attempted to continue his homework. The material the teachers went over in class always seemed to make sense with them hovering over him but never when he tried to do it on his own. Oh, irony.

"Just another way I'm the better twin, right, Dame-Tsuna?"

Tsuna wished his brother would stop calling him that, especially as it wasn't true. Shige had friends, support, and attention but since Tsuna didn't really care for any of that, it wasn't a win in his book. There were a bunch of things at which Tsuna was "better than Shige"; he just didn't try to rub them in Shige's face at every opportunity.

He knew it was wishful thinking. No one could make Ieshige do anything he didn't want to. And those who tried, well. The bruises on his arms from when Tsuna had asked Shige to help clean the house earlier hadn't healed yet.

Their mother always seemed amused whenever she caught sight of the bruises, laughing and teasing him over how clumsy he was – as if being clumsy was something to be proud of.

And with Shige being like a shark with the scent of blood when it came to making Tsuna miserable, he had no qualms with joining right in with her and agreeing.

"This is _simple stuff_, Dame-Tsuna. You can't even manage this?"

Tsuna didn't respond, hoping he could struggle through another problem before— Nope.

Shige snatched the papers from under Tsuna's hands, flipping them around until they were facing the right way. Tsuna sighed, staring at the long, gray line now running through his work. Shige snickered. "Did you get _any_ of these right, Dame-Tsuna? This is all easy stuff, too!"

Tsuna gripped his pencil and stared down at the table. This was his little brother. It wouldn't be right for him to react or lash out. He had to be the older brother and do the right thing; which in this case, meant not getting mad at Shige.

"Are you even _trying_?"

_Don't lash out_, Tsuna repeated to himself.

"The teachers shouldn't even try anymore. They're wasting their time with you."

Sawada Nana walked into the room before Shige could continue, holding a basket of laundry. Her face lit up. "My two boys – how's the homework coming?"

The sneer on Shige's face disappeared as he turned to face their mother. Had Tsuna not seen it happen a million times before, he would've thought it was magic. "It's going fine, Mom! I'm helping Dame-Tsuna with some of the problems he's having."

And because Shige was Shige, their mother didn't even bat an eye at the lie. "Just what I'd expect from my little Shi-kun!" She smiled, her pride evident.

Tsuna tried to remember the last time his mother had looked at him with that expression.

He couldn't.

"But," Nana continued. "Dame-Tsuna?" She parroted.

Tsuna wished the floor would open up and swallow him. It was one thing for his classmates to use the nickname but it was an entirely different thing for his _mother_ to know.

Shige laughed. "It's this nickname some kids at school came up with for him."

Nana frowned, readjusting the laundry at her hip. "That doesn't seem very nice, does it?"

Shige shook his head. "Don't worry, kaa-san. It's all just fun teasing—" He turned to face Tsuna, the air of amusement disappearing with startling quickness. "—Right, Dame-Tsuna?" The threat was obvious in the words.

Tsuna shrugged and peered up at his mother through his fringe to gauge her reaction. For a brief moment, he wondered whether or not Nana would notice there was something strange going on.

She wouldn't just let it slide, right?

"Oh, well if Shi-kun says so and Tsu-kun agrees, I guess it's okay!" The grin was back on her face. "I'll never understand you kids! Always so silly!" She giggled. "Should I start calling you that as well, Tsu-kun?"

Tsuna very quietly slipped his hands under the table and clenched them into fists.

It was one thing not to expect much. It was something else to be proven right.

[1]

"Oh, we're out of milk, Tsu-kun. Could you do Mama a favor and pick some up?"

Tsuna looked up from the book he was reading for class – and for once, he actually understood it. Perhaps the world was ending – and then glanced over at his brother, shouting at the television as he played his new video game.

She placed a hand on her cheek. "I would go myself but I promised Shi-kun I'd help him with his homework."

Tsuna tried again: pointed look down at his work and then over to his brother who was goofing off. Did she just not realize that _he_ was currently working on homework—?

Nana cocked her head to the side. "Tsu-kun?"

He shook his head. Who was he kidding? He sighed and shut the book. "Sure, kaa-san."

She clasped her hands under her chin and smiled at him. "Oh, thanks, Tsu-kun. I'm so glad Mama can count on you. Always so reliable, just like your brother!" She shuffled off to the living room. "Shi-kun, is now a good time for you?"

"Mom, I'm _winning_," Shige whined. "Go away – I'll do my homework later."

It was all for his brother, even though it sometimes seemed a bit unfair. And after a certain point, complaining about it became moot. Tsuna sighed and got up from the table to head toward the entryway.

He was trying to do what his dad had asked of him but Shige made it difficult. For all that they were related by blood, Tsuna was beginning to wonder just where from his brother had spawned. It sometimes seemed like Shige didn't have a decent bone in his body – no compassion, no honor, no room for anything else that didn't focus on himself and his needs.

And Tsuna was beginning to realize that those were things weren't planning to make any sort of appearance in his brother's personality any time soon.

Still, Tsuna respected obligation and family and even with the… discord between them, he'd do his job as the older (even if only by twelve minutes) brother.

He'd just finished putting on his shoes when, from the other room, his brother shouted, "Don't trip and ruin all the groceries this time, Dame-Tsuna. Prove that you can handle _some_ things, would you?"

Tsuna rolled his eyes and wished that he wasn't so easy to blush. He face practically caught on fire whenever he became embarrassed.

Nana bustled about nearby but said nothing. The saddest part was Tsuna didn't know if she was missing Shige's innate cruelty or just ignoring it. Either way, he was on his own.

He mumbled a quiet, "Ittekimasu," under his breath and left the house.

He made it to the store in ten minutes, grabbed the cheapest milk he could find – for all that Nana had requested his help, she'd forgotten to give him money and he only had so much allowance – and left, which was about when the trouble started.

He caught sight of a group of boys staring at him. All of them were wearing the Namimori elementary school uniform and all of them were friends of Shige. Needless to say, he knew enough about them and their personalities to clutch the milk to his chest and break into a run.

He'd choose cowardice and less bruises any day without hesitation.

Bullies who preferred the more physical idea of action – other than Shige - had become a common fixture in his life of late and he'd been forced to take measures to make sure that he didn't one day return home beaten bloody. (Although sometimes, in his darker moments, he wondered if Nana would even notice if he came home with such injuries. If she would notice him, just the once, it might almost make the wounds worth it.)

After the third narrow escape from a group of kids who seemed to embrace Shige's particular brand of cruelty, he'd painstakingly mapped out the city and forced himself to memorize the fastest way to get anywhere. (He couldn't do basic algebra but large-scale memorization didn't even faze him. It was always the practical things he seemed to pick up and— now was not the time to be thinking about this.)

_How did they even find me?_ Did he have a target painted on him? Recently, it seemed like he couldn't go anywhere without managing to get into some sort of trouble, especially from bullies.

It also hadn't escaped his notice that most of the bullies were people who crowded around Shige.

As if Shige would ever give them the love and affection they all seemed to want. He didn't even know what those words _meant_.

And his mother wondered why Tsuna didn't like to leave the house. Even with him living with Shige, the odds of him getting ganged up on and seriously injured were much lower than in public.

He tripped over nothing – what a time for his clumsiness to kick in – and stumbled. With every second that passed, his ability to get away unscathed dropped.

He scoured his mental map of the city for directions and turned to the left, heading toward an old bakery his parents used to like. Next to the old shop was an alleyway that opened onto a busy street, filled with the type of open-air market stalls that drew large crowds of people. He'd be able to lose his pursuers and it would only add an extra fifteen or so minutes to his journey home.

As a plan, it would have to do. The bullies' pounding footsteps behind him weren't getting any further away.

He made it to the bakery and careened around the corner, only to stop so quickly he stumbled and fell. In front of him and blocking the way to the other side of the alley was a large sign attached to a wire fence: CLOSED FOR CONSTRUCTION.

Tsuna groaned, heart trying to escape from his throat. He couldn't climb over it – it was too high and there weren't even enough handholds.

Knowing his luck, he'd manage to hurt himself even further in the attempt.

Before he could decide on another plan, someone shoved him from behind. The milk fell from his hands. He skinned the palm of his hands as he tried to break his fall. _It hasn't even started yet and I'm already bleeding – this is going to be __**great**__._

"Forcing us to chase you was a bad idea."

Tsuna took one last, desperate look toward the barricade before hunching down and trying to make himself into as small a target as possible. As long as he could protect the most critical parts of his body while the bullies took out their frustration – or what, was it joy? Anger? Tsuna didn't know – on him, he'd live to see another day.

It was better to just sit there and take it instead of fighting back and making it worse, right?

As soon as he stopped moving, the kicks and jeers started. Like clockwork.

"Dame-Tsuna, you can't do anything right."

"You're a waste of space."

"You can't even compare to Shige."

"It's no wonder your dad is never home – he can't stand to be around such a useless son, eh?"

"Why can't you do everyone a favor and just leave?"

And around and around it went, a veritable whirlwind of the fears he was slowly beginning to believe. Each statement was punctuated by a swift kick to his side, or the back of his head, or his hands – whatever part of his body they could reach.

_At least they're not picky_, he thought. Only a kick to the arms he'd placed over his chest stopped a hysterical giggle from emerging from his mouth.

"Herbivores. You're crowding."

Everything stopped. One of the bullies might have squeaked.

Tsuna peeked an eye open – neither eye had started to swell yet; it was looking like it might turn out to be a good day after all – at the newcomer's voice. Tsuna hadn't known a beating to stop so abruptly.

But when he caught sight of the newcomer, it was easy to understand the others' reactions. Standing there was Hibari Kyouya, the famed disciplinarian and peacekeeper for Namimori. He seemed to be on a one-man mission to make sure that everything functioned normally and smoothly within the city. His primary form of motivation was violence, same as every other Hibari who'd ever made a name for themselves.

_Everyone_ knew the Hibari family – heck, they were the only reason that Namimori managed to exist mostly in peace. It was a fact: disorderly conduct of any sort would be met with swift retribution by one of the Hibari family members.

In the last few years, with the relative stability of the city, many of the members had left to other places in the world, leaving Hibari as the only one in Namimori. As the youngest member, it was no surprise that people thought the rules would be a bit more lax under him. The criminals and seedier individuals gained confidence from his singular presence.

Hibari seemed on a mission to make every single one of them realize that that was a mistake. He was a one-man force of nature and nothing could stand in the way of his convictions. Kami-sama help anyone who tried.

And he was only _eight_, just two years older than himself.

Tsuna couldn't help but admire Hibari Kyouya on some level. Not that he could ever tell Hibari that. He'd die for sure. (Although whether it'd be from humiliation or from a swift tonfa to the face was still a toss-up.)

Hibari said nothing as he took in the situation. Tsuna hoped the fact that he was a victim – and not actively participating in any sort of "crowding" – would work in his favor. Then again, everyone knew that Hibari had many neuroses when it came to protecting Namimori and an uncountable number of triggers for each of them.

Yeah, Tsuna wasn't holding out much hope for his immediate future.

Clearly, one of the bullies had the same thought. The boy's eyes were wide as he pushed his friends out of the way and bolted for the mouth of the alleyway, where Hibari was still standing.

Tsuna winced when Hibari knocked the boy down with nary a glance or visible form of effort. (Still, the kid had been asking for it. Trying to get past Hibari when Hibari clearly wasn't having it? Bad idea all around.)

As if that had been a signal, Hibari stalked toward the two remaining boys, both of whom looked like they'd willingly sell their souls to be anywhere else in the world.

Tsuna dragged himself out of the way and ended up huddled against the wall. It had the added effect of giving him a front row seat to Hibari biting the bullies to death for disrupting the peace.

It was like watching a dance – a very brutal, gruesome one – that had the sounds of metal hitting flesh and flesh hitting pavement as the morbid soundtrack. Still, there was an inherent grace in Hibari's movements, one that proved his experience and his love for fighting.

In that instant, Tsuna knew all of those rumors he'd heard about Hibari's abilities were true.

It didn't take long for Hibari to finish, lowering his tonfas only after the last boy stopped moving. He didn't turn around.

For a moment, Tsuna wondered and hoped that maybe, just maybe, Hibari had forgotten about him.

"Herbivore."

_Yeah, nope._ Tsuna froze. What was he supposed to say? _Was_ there anything he could say that wouldn't result in an additional beating? But then he realized that Hibari might take a lack of a response as an affront. He needed to say something—

"For future reference, I hate crowding." Hibari tucked his tonfa back into his jacket and walked away.

_That's it?_ Tsuna paused before patting himself down just to make sure Hibari-san hadn't actually bit him to death and he just hadn't noticed. Not that he was complaining but he _wasn't _going to die today?

He stared up and down the alleyway, as if he might find the answer painted on one of the walls. Then he realized what he was doing – Hibari had let him off and he was continuing to question his good fortune?

He liked to think he was smarter than that.

He grabbed the milk from where it had managed to fall and remain surprisingly unscathed and made his way home.

[1]

"Dame-Tsuna."

_Crap_. Tsuna knew that tone – Shige wasn't in a good mood. He looked around his bedroom for an exit, despite knowing that Shige was blocking the door and the window wasn't actually a viable method of escape.

He was stuck and he didn't even know what he'd done to warrant his brother's anger. It had been a few days since the milk incident and he hadn't managed to do miraculously well in any of his classes, he'd stayed out of Shige's way and limited himself to five words or less when they had to talk to one another, and had done his best to disappear from the room whenever Nana was focusing on Shige.

Still, he pushed aside the revision packet he was working on (assigned by a new teacher who still thought Tsuna could succeed if he just tried harder – what a laugh – and hadn't realized he wasn't worth the effort) underneath the table so it wouldn't get damaged should Shige turn this into a scuffle.

"I hear you got my friends in trouble with Hibari."

Tsuna frowned before rearranging his expression into something that would – hopefully – not set Shige off. (Then again, everything seemed to set Shige off nowadays so it was probably moot anyway.) Shige was now going to get on his case because _his _friends were beating him up and got _themselves _in trouble? He'd sunk that low?

Tsuna choked back a scoff. Of course. He really should stop being surprised. He loved his brother but at the same time, he was beginning to realize that he didn't have to _like_ him.

Shige slammed his hands on the table, bringing his face uncomfortably close to Tsuna's own. "Are you listening to me, Dame-Tsuna?"

_No_, Tsuna snarked mentally. Outwardly, he nodded. It was best to pretend to accept that everything – no matter how unlikely – was somehow his fault.

"They're _my_ friends, Tsuna. They weren't doing anything but because of you, they nearly had to go to the hospital."

_They weren't doing anything?_ He'd come home scuffed, dirty, and covered in scratches from his time on the ground. He'd lied to Nana and had spent the next hour trying to clean the gravel from the deeper cuts.

"What did I do to you that you'd want Hibari kid to hurt my friends?"

_Are you serious?_ Tsuna had a bruise in the shape of a _footprint_ on his hip. Only reflex kept him from voicing the thought. It wasn't like Shige would care, anyway. Maybe his silence could count as a type of apology.

"I thought you understood how this works, Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna blinked at the non-sequitur, daring to meet Shige's gaze head-on.

Shige glared. "Dad said it, didn't he? As the older twin, you're supposed to look out for me and make my life easier."

_He didn't use those exact words, no._

"You're never going to amount to anything _anyway_ so stop trying. Instead, figure out how to make sure _I_ succeed. Then maybe you won't be such a failure, Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna flinched. Shige had never been one for pulling his punches and he always – unerringly –targeted the weakest points (it probably helped that he'd given birth to many of them in the first place).

"You understand, right Dame-Tsuna? Your only purpose is to help _me_."

He was _sure_ Iemitsu hadn't meant that when he'd pulled him aside. Surely— But then again, how would he know? Iemitsu was never at home and hadn't been since they were four. Maybe it _was_ what he'd meant. Because wouldn't he or Nana have stepped in and put a stop to the situation if Shige wasn't right?

He lowered his head and glanced at his hands, unwilling to look Shige in the face. He nodded his understanding.

"Good."

Nana called for Shige from downstairs. He left without saying anything else.

Tsuna barely noticed. If that was what his dad had meant when he'd said to "take care of Shige", then he was going to have to accept it. He'd deal with it somehow.

But he couldn't help but wonder… _Where do I fit into all of this?_

There didn't seem to be an immediate answer to that question.

[1]

It was their birthday.

Shige was all energy and excitement, awake at the crack of dawn and determined to get the day rolling. He threw himself from his bed, made a racket bumping around, and then tore from the room while shouting for their mom.

After the rude awakening, Tsuna took his time getting out of bed and getting ready. He managed to time his morning routine so that he existed the bathroom as Shige came hurtling back up the stairs from Nana's room. Score.

He made his way downstairs, hardly able to feel excited about the day; he already knew how it would go. He, Nana, and Shige would eat breakfast together before presents were opened. Sometime during it all, their dad would call and for once, it would feel like they were an actual family and that he and Shige were equals.

It was a nice feeling and one of the only times he could rely on it.

He reached the kitchen to find his mother bustling about and humming to herself. "Morning, kaa—"

He stumbled to the side when his brother pushed passed him and barreled straight for the table stacked high with presents, chattering a mile a minute.

Nana nodded to Tsuna at the door and reached forward to ruffle Shige's hair with her free hand. "Happy birthday, boys! Excited to be seven?"

Tsuna shrugged, having never understood why such a question even needed to be asked. Aging was just getting that much closer to responsibilities and death. He saw the way his mother looked tired and worn those nights when Shige was being particularly obnoxious and he wasn't stupid enough to miss the fact that his father was _never_ home.

Rather than have to deal with stuff like that, he'd rather just stay young forever. Or at the very least, he'd rather not welcome aging with open arms.

He kept his mouth shut, though, because the last time he'd brought the subject up with his mom, she'd gotten the most peculiar expression on her face – the same one he'd seen on her face all those times in the immediate aftermath of his father leaving again.

If he had his way, Tsuna would make sure he never had to see it again.

"What're you making for breakfast, kaa-san? It better be something awesome!"

So he said nothing – not that Shige seemed to be in any mood to let him – and listened with half an ear as his mother answered his brother's question.

Just then, the phone rang. Tsuna didn't bother waiting for Nana's distracted, "Tsu-kun, could you get that?" before he was out the door and picking up the phone in the hallway. He'd take any excuse to not fade into the background again. Not on this day.

"Moshi, moshi. Sawada residence."

"Which one of my birthday boys is this?" Iemitsu's smile was clear and bright through the phone. Tsuna couldn't help but return it, despite the jumble of emotion he typically felt whenever he heard his father's voice.

On the one hand, if nothing else, his dad was reliable on this day. But on the other, the man had left his entire family to make money. He wasn't there. (Not that Tsuna was going to start complaining about his living situation – women didn't live in Japan as single mothers with two kids, a large house, and no job unless there was some other financial assistance going on. So, he could thank his father for _something_.)

He stamped down on the reflexive confusion, anger, and hurt. Iemitsu was doing the best he could for his family, even if it had the effect of Tsuna not really knowing his father.

Were it not for the pictures that Nana had determinedly posted around the house though, Tsuna wondered if he would even remember what the man looked like.

He tried to stamp down on the sliver of bitterness, too.

"Kid? You there?"

"It's Tsuna, Dad." Still, it would've been nice if his dad could at least tell them apart. Shige was all boisterousness and attention while Tsuna was quiet respect. Tsuna thought it should've been easy but apparently not.

He sighed and decided to stick with the fake happiness that was becoming more and more necessary as the years went on. There'd be less drama and headaches that way.

Just then, Shige stepped through the door of the kitchen. "Is that Dad?"

Tsuna refrained from rolling his eyes. Like anyone _else_ called them on their birthday.

Shige yanked the phone and elbowed Tsuna aside. "Just give it here, Dame-Tsuna."

Tsuna rubbed at the spot that had been hit – might bruise – and shuffled from foot to foot. _Should I stand here and wait until Shige's done?_

Judging from the rather nasty look Shige was sending his way, he decided to escape. He walked into the kitchen – tripping over his feet along the way – and headed over to his mother. "Kaa-san? Is there any way I can help?"

"Oh, Shi-kun, don't worry. Mama's got it all handled." She made a distracted noise before reaching for the box of pancake mix. "I'll have some pancakes for you in just a bit – I bought them special for today! I know how you love them!"

…_I hate pancakes._ Tsuna pulled at his hair for a moment, just to check and see if it had spontaneously turned blond and he not noticed. But nope – he was still a brunette, which meant he'd been mistaken for Shige _again_.

With a sigh, he dropped his hand and said, "I'm _Tsuna_, kaa-san." At least his father had the excuse of living a few thousand miles away.

"What—?" Nana glanced over her shoulder. "Oh, sorry, Tsu-kun." She smiled, and it was so warm and pleasant that he couldn't help smiling back, despite the fact that _his mother couldn't tell himself and Shige apart_.

But she didn't seem to smile at him like that so often anymore – too distracted by Shige and his accomplishments, Tsuna sometimes thought. He'd take what he could get.

He was about to offer to help again – maybe he could start the laundry or something? That might help with her workload – when he heard the sound of Shige's pounding footsteps approaching.

The door to the kitchen slammed open. "Your turn, Dame-Tsuna." He seemed annoyed at having to deliver the message.

Tsuna nodded and headed into the hallway, trying to ignore the sounds of his mother's giggle at the nickname. He didn't feel like smiling so much anymore.

He picked up the phone, hanging from the table the phone sat on – didn't Shige even have the decency to set the phone down instead of just dropping it? – and asked, "Dad? You still there?"

"Ah, Tsuna! How's my other darling son doing?"

"I'm fine, Dad. How's work?" He twisted the phone cord around his finger.

"Good, good, can't complain. Everything's fine for your Papa!" He chuckled. "But today's too special a day to be worrying about little ol', boring me!"

That didn't sound like the truth _at all_. At least living with Shige had taught him what lies sounded like. It just had the unfortunate effect of making it impossible to believe much of what came out of his father's mouth anymore.

He noted this lie – just like all the others – and added it to the list of things that just didn't add up about his dad.

At the top of the list was the large question of what in the world kind of construction job Ietmitsu had that required him to travel _all over the freaking world_. After prying his dad's profession from his mom, he'd immediately realized that something wasn't right. Did his parents just not expect him to be smart enough to notice all the inconsistencies? It didn't make any sense.

But as always, he didn't question it. It wasn't his place. He would continue as he always did, doing his best to try and help his mom while aiding Shige in the only way he knew how – staying out of his way. Hopefully his dad would one day make sense.

"Tsu-kun? Are you still there?"

Tsuna forced himself to focus. International phone calls weren't cheap and this wasn't the time to try and puzzle out his dad's secrets. "I'm still here, Dad. But you probably have to get back to work soon, right? Kaa-san always says you're so busy."

"Mama's right. It makes me proud that you're willing to put my job ahead of your happiness on this special day of yours. You're such a good boy, Tsuna! Papa's so proud!"

_Papa also apparently thinks I'm some sort of dog._ Why his parents continued to treat him and Shige like they were babies was beyond him. There really was a limit for how long that was allowed to work on children.

Had he not been so used to it, he might have felt offended.

Iemitsu continued to go own, waxing poetic about all of Tsunas apparent virtues. Tsuna cut him off at the thirty second mark. "I really appreciate you calling on our—"

Tsuna stopped as he heard what was very clearly a gunshot in the background. Tsuna froze and almost felt his father do the same. "…Dad?"

He pulled the phone away as his father's booming laugh sounded down the line. "Just some sound effects! Don't worry, son!"

His dad wanted him to believe that he was a construction worker who traveled around the world for work… and who also dealt with sound effects?

_Right_.

"Now, I've loved talking with you Tsu-kun but my break's over and I have to get back to work!"

_Another lie_. Even though there was clearly something big going on with his father, the resentment from earlier escaped the tight reign he was holding over it. Were they – Iemitsu's family – just that unimportant to the man?

It already seemed like there were a number of things his father was willing to place above them: his job, his own happiness, their finances, his lies. Where exactly did they fall on the spectrum of his dad's priorities? Were they even _on_ there?

Tsuna didn't want to catalogue the well of hurt the thought brought on – because he was their father and surely they warranted a good portion of his attention? Didn't they? – but was more horrified to realize that, alongside all of these negative feelings was a growing sense of bitter acceptance.

He didn't _want_ to accept that his father was never going to be around. Just like he didn't want to accept that more and more, day by day, Shige was turning nastier toward Tsuna and that his mother had forced so much fake happiness into the mask she let everyone see that the line between reality and fiction was blurring.

But it didn't matter what he wanted, did it? He was only six – seven now – and it was a lesson he was learning.

"One second, Tsu-kun. Papa has to talk to someone." Iemitsu's voice went quiet, as if he had placed a hand over the receiver. Tsuna strained his hearing but couldn't make it out.

There was another gunshot and the sounds of some yelling before his father was back on the phone, loud and clear. "Tsu-kun, Papa's got to go! You and Shi-kun share your present from me, okay?"

Tsuna rolled his eyes. Like Shige even knew what sharing _meant_. Perhaps he'd be lucky enough to see the gift before it was ripped away from him. _What excitement._ "All right, Dad. Thanks."

"Love you, son!" Iemitsu hung up.

_Do you?_ Tsuna didn't want to examine that that was his first thought. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time. His father was busy and he needed to understand that. It'd be fine.

He returned to the kitchen and froze at the sight of Shige tearing through the birthday presents – both his _and_ Tsuna's – while Nana sat across from him with a plate piled high with pancakes.

"…Kaa-san? Shige?"

"Oh, Dame-Tsuna. You were taking too long so I started opening yours, too." There was no sign that Shige felt bad about writing Tsuna out of their birthday tradition.

Nana smiled at them– first Shige and then Tsuna. "We weren't sure how long you'd be speaking with Papa and Shige was just getting so impatient…"

_Of course he was._

"And I guess he just couldn't contain his excitement!" Nana placed her elbows on the table and cupped her chin in her hands. "But don't worry, Tsu-kun, I'm sure there're still a few left!"

Tsuna glanced down at the table at the lone remaining wrapped present. Shige stopped littering the floor with wrapping paper and stared at Tsuna, just _daring_ him to say something or make a scene.

Tsuna knew the drill well enough. It wouldn't end well for him if he were to open his mouth. He'd have to be happy with what was left for him.

He'd just have to ignore that they'd always celebrated their birthday as a family, making sure that no twin would feel left out or less loved than the other.

Apparently, that was no longer the case. He was only seven but for a brief moment, he felt very alone.

Without a word, Tsuna pulled out a chair, placed some food on his plate, and began eating, eyeing Shige as he proceeded to rip through the last present.

Happy birthday to him.

* * *

**I hope you enjoyed! Read and review, please! :)**


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